Buddhist Studies

The Secular Buddhist Studies Program (“SBSP”) at The Interdependence Project offers a comprehensive, multi-lineage Buddhist foundation, incorporating the fundamental practices of meditation, psychology, philosophy, ethics, and their application in the lives of 21st century practitioners.

Composed of a diverse series of weekly courses and four weekend meditation retreats, the SBSP is designed for those who desire to deepen their Buddhist practice and to enlarge it with classes by teachers from multiple traditions.

The program is also designed to increase exposure and involvement in the growing conversation between western and traditional Buddhist psychology and the implementation of Buddhist teachings towards creating a healthy life and mind.

The SBSP has been created to give you expert tools for working with your mind and emotions, and practices for increasing your well-being and capacity to act from a place of loving-kindness in a down-to-earth and practical manner. These tools and practices, if applied consistently, can help you to create a life focused on compassion, clarity, and connectedness while remaining engaged with your family, community, and our modern and fast-paced world.

This program was especially designed to accommodate our entire sangha; those students located in the NYC area who can participate in-person, and the thousands of others who participate remotely from around the globe. All requirements can be satisfied without travel to NYC, via our Remote Study courses, and can be completed at your own pace. Its requirements can be fulfilled in as little as one year of focused participation or you can take classes and retreats over several years to fit with your busy schedule.

Requirements for completion of the program:

One-time registration fee of $150 to defray administrative costs. Payment can be made at this link. Fee does not include costs of classes & retreats.

A total of 40 Secular Buddhist Studies class sessions must be completed either in-person at our NYC center, or by listening to classes via our Remote Study option. For example, if you register for a course series called “Buddhism 101”, which runs on Mondays for six weeks, by the end of it you will have attended/listened to six class sessions and have 34 class sessions remaining for Program completion.

A total of either four weekend meditation retreats or one week-long retreat must be completed with IDP or with a traditional Buddhist lineage, such as Insight Meditation Society, Zen, Shambhala, or a Tibetan sangha. Retreats should be practice-based with periods of silent meditation. Please contact kim@theidproject.org to verify retreats are eligible for credit before you sign up for them.

The Interdependence Project offers four Weekend Retreats annually, and we encourage your participation. IDP Weekend Retreats are a wonderful opportunity to immerse yourself in the practices and teachings of Secular Buddhism in a supportive group environment.

To receive credit for participating in a course series, students are required to complete a short assignment. When registering for a course, please select the “For Credit” option by clicking the radial button on the registration page.

Although it is not a trade or certificate program, completion of the SBSP will provide you with a firm understanding of the Buddhist teachings, as well as various types of contemplative practices. It is not eligible for continuing education credits.

Please note that completion of the Secular Buddhist Studies Program is one prerequisite for the Year-Long Immersion Program.

There is a one-time administrative fee of $150 to declare your participation the Secular Buddhist Studies Program which can be paid at this link. This fee does not include cost of classes and retreats.

Upon completion of the SBSP, students will receive a special IDP Merit pin.

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Metta, or Lovingkindness Meditation (LKM), is the practice of wishing oneself and others happiness, health, and ease. Based on traditional Buddhist teachings, it has become an increasingly popular practice, as it generates both concentration and a deep understanding of the nature of our connection to ourselves and others. Cultivating compassion and patience towards our experience enables us to build equanimity and courage through the constant and inevitable changing circumstances of life.

Metta, or Lovingkindness Meditation (LKM), is the practice of wishing oneself and others happiness, health, and ease. Based on traditional Buddhist teachings, it has become an increasingly popular practice, as it generates both concentration and a deep understanding of the nature of our connection to ourselves and others. Cultivating compassion and patience towards our experience enables us to build equanimity and courage through the constant and inevitable changing circumstances of life.

Metta, or Lovingkindness Meditation (LKM), is the practice of wishing oneself and others happiness, health, and ease. Based on traditional Buddhist teachings, it has become an increasingly popular practice, as it generates both concentration and a deep understanding of the nature of our connection to ourselves and others. Cultivating compassion and patience towards our experience enables us to build equanimity and courage through the constant and inevitable changing circumstances of life.

Metta, or Lovingkindness Meditation (LKM), is the practice of wishing oneself and others happiness, health, and ease. Based on traditional Buddhist teachings, it has become an increasingly popular practice, as it generates both concentration and a deep understanding of the nature of our connection to ourselves and others. Cultivating compassion and patience towards our experience enables us to build equanimity and courage through the constant and inevitable changing circumstances of life.